Universal metalworking machine



Dec. 7, 1954 KNQST 2,696,242

UNIVERSAL METALWORKING MACHINE Filed Feb. 14. 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 L Q a i Z? INVENTOR- Dec. 7, 1954 KNQST iii. UNIVERSAL METALWORKING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F'iled Feb. 14. 1949 v INVENTOR. 4/0 a H. @052 United States Patent UNIVERSAL METALWORKING MACHINE Lloyd H. Knost, Carthage, Mo.

Application February 14, 1949, Serial No. 76,377

9 Claims. (Cl. 15354) This invention relates to sheet metal rolling or forming equlpment and more specifically to a metal working machine of the kind particularly adapted to form conicalshaped, metallic articles, the primary object being to provide a machine having a plurality of juxtaposed members of complementary character, each of which is provided with a working surface, the members all being individually shiftable in a plurality of directions and all being individually driven, to the end that metallic articles can be formed thereby having an infinite number of shapes, contours and configurations.

It is common knowledge that metal working machines have heretofore been developed having as a part thereof a number of rotatable, conical members disposed in relatively close relationship for receiving metal and shaping the same primarily into a conical configuration. As far as I am aware, however, there has never been developed a machine of such character wherein the conical working members themselves are each separately mounted and individually operated for precise adjustments into a large number of diifering selectable positions permitting use thereof in forming articles of a highly varied nature from the standpoint of shape and size. a

Accordingly, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a universal metal working machine having a plurality of substantially conical-shaped members all mounted with their apexes in proximal relationship and all supported individually with their longitudinal rotative axes converging as the said apexes are approached, whereby to permit forming or rolling of sheet metal into cones, cylinders, or hollow, frusto-conical members.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a metal working machine having a plurality of conical working members each being provided with a separably mounted, elongated shaft for imparting rotative motion thereto, the shafts themselves, as well as the cones, all being supported with their longitudinal axes converging as the outermost ends of the cones are approached.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a metal working machine of the above-mentioned character having bearing supports for each shaft respectively, each of broken away to reveal the manner of mounting thereof.

There is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings a hollow case broadly designated by the numeral 10 for housing the greater part of the operating mechanismv forming a part of the present invention. The precise shape and formation of this case 10 is of no particular significance and may be altered to suit particular needs as desired. Case 10 includes a planar front wall 12, a back wail 14 and a pair of side walls 16 and 18 having the configuration illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

In other words, the walls 12 and 14 are provided with converging edges as the uppermost ends thereof are approached, and the side walls 16 and 18 are shaped to conform therewith.

A number of substantially conical-shaped working members or metal forming rolls are mounted exteriorally of the case 10, there being three of such members chosen for illustration designed by the numerals 20, 22 and 24, respectively. These three members 20, 22 and 24 are each mounted in an operative position for rotation by substantially identical structures one of which is illustrated most clearly in association with member 22 in Fig. 3 of the drawings; and, accordingly, only one of such structures will be described.

An elongated shaft 26 is disposed normally at an angle with respect to the horizontal and mounted at one end thereof within a bearing 28 that is, in turn, pivotally mounted within a block 30. In addition to being disposed at an angle with respect to the horizontal, the longitudinal axes of all of the shafts 26 are angled to converge toward the ends thereof having working members 20, 22, and 24 thereon. Block 30 is provided with a socket 32 formed to permit free, swinging movement of the bearing 28 on an axis intersecting the longitudinal axis of shaft 26.

Block 30 is mounted within an elongated, angularly arranged opening within the rear wall 14 of case 10 for free, sliding movement therein. Such opening within the wall 14 is provided with a pair of opposed, substantially parallel, angularly-disposed tracks, one of which only is illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings and designated by the numeral 34. A screw 36 positions the block 30.

the bearings themselves being separably and individually shiftable, whereby either or both ends of the shaft may be adjusted and whereby one or more of the conical working members may be varied with respect to the other working members at either or both ends thereof.

Other objects of the present invention relate to the particular way in which the conical working members of the machine are mounted upon their respective shafts; the way in which a power assembly is provided for each shaft respectively, the power units being shiftable with the shafts when adjustment takes place; and the manner in which the working members themselves are formed in sections, to the end that one or more of the sections may be used according to the desires of the operator.

Many more minor objects relating to specific details of construction will be made clear or become apparent as the following specification progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a front elevational view of a universal metal working machine made in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof, parts being broken away to reveal details of construction.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, substantially central, longitudinal, cross sectional view taken through one of the and the bearing 28 and shaft 26 are likewise positioned by reason of their association with block 30.

Screw 36 has its uppermost end rotatably locked within a plate 38 that is, in turn, removably attached to the lowermost face of the block 30 through the medium of bolts 40. The lowermost end of the screw 36 terminates within a gear box 42, shown only in Fig. 2, that is mounted within the case 10 with suitable gears in the box 42 being driven by an electric motor or other prime mover 44 through. the medium of a belt 46 trained over a pair of pulleys 43 and 50 having connection with the gears of box 42 and with the drive shaft of motor 44, respectively, in the usual manner.

Block-30 is provided with a pair of opposed guide channels (not shown) having their longitudinal axes substantially vertical and having a substantially U-shaped cross section for embracing the proximal track 34 of the wall 14. Thus, the block 30 is held against lateral displacement on the tracks 34 as the same reciprocates therebetween.

The gear box 42 for the member 20 is more clearly shown in Fig. 2 at the uppermost end thereof, and each gear box 42 is provided with a follower (not shown) that is threaded upon the respective screws 36 and operably connected for rotation with the gears of the connected box 42 in the conventional manner. A tubular housing 52 receives one end of the screw 36 opposite to its connection with block 30 when the screw 36 is moved imparted to the connected screw 36 to actuate block 30 between tracks 34, thereby changing the angularity of shaft 26 with respect to the wall 14.

This swinging movement of the described end of the shaft 26 adjacent bearing 28 is made possible not only by virtue of the fact that hearing 28 is free to pivot in socket 32 but because of the mounting of shaft 26 intermediate the. ends thereof and adjacent-each of the respective conical members 20, 22 and 24. The other mounting of the shaft 26 includes a sleeve 56 having a pair of bushings 58 and 60 therein for rotatably supporting the shaft 26 at the end located adjacent wall 12.

That end of the sleeve 56 adjacent the bushing 58 is embraced by a U-shaped yoke 62 having its bight underlying sleeve 56 and its opposed legs each provided with a pintle 64. The opposed pintles 64 are threadably secured to the sleeve 56 and freely rotatable within the respective spaced legs of the yoke 62.

A block 66 having an arcuate face 68 is secured directly to the sleeve 56 by means of recessed bolts 70, said block 66 being interposed between the sleeve 56 and the innermost face of the bight of yoke 62. This innermost face of the bight of yoke 62 is, also, arcuate in cross section, as shown in Fig. 3, for slidably receiving the arcuate face 68 of block 66.

The laterally outward faces of the legs of yoke 62 are each provided with an elongated channel of U-shaped cross section defined on one side by a removable plate 72 (Fig. l) secured to yoke 62 through the medium of a plurality of screws or the like 74. These opposite outwardly disposed channels of the yoke 62 are guided by the parallel tracks 76 defining the longitudinal edges of an elongated, angularly-disposed opening 78 formed in the front wall 12 of the case 10.

An elongated screw 80- positions yoke 62 and is rotatably locked to the yoke 62 by means of a plate 82 removably secured to the bight of yoke 62 by bolts 84. Screw 80 is actuated longitudinally of its axis by rotative motion imparted thereto in the same manner as above described with respect to the three screws 36. Such structure includes an electric motor 86 connected operably with suitable gears in box 88 by means of a belt 90.

Accordingly, the two ends of the shaft 26 are separately and independently shiftable through the respective paths of travel by motors 44 and 86. When screw 36 is lengthwise actuated or when the screw 80 is shifted on its longitudinal axis, bearing 28 swings freely within socket 32 and the block 66 swings on the bight of yoke 62 on an axis intersecting the longitudinal, rotative axis of shaft 26.

It is, also, to be noted that, when such adjustments are made, the sleeve 56 is free to swing within yoke 62 by virtue of pintles 64 on an axis intersecting the longitudinal axis of shaft 26. Through the medium of a pointer 92 on the yoke 62 that overlaps a scale 94 on the wall 12 adjacent one of the tracks 76, the operator is able to determine the position of the yoke 62 within the tracks 76.

It is, also, obviously within the concepts of this invention to provide such indicating means 94-92 on the rear wall 14 and block 30, respectively, if desired.

As above indicated, the assembly just described has been directed to the component parts for mounting the working member 22, and the directions of travel of the block 30 and yoke 62 in a path of travel at an angle to the horizontal and to the vertical corresponds therewith. These same angularities apply for the mounting structure for the members 20 and 24, except in the latter the direction of operational adjustments are different.

The operating and supporting structure for the member 20, however, differs only from the units 22 and 24 by virtue of the fact that the two screws 36 and 80 of member 20 travel in a true vertical direction. Obviously, the longitudinal axes of all screws 36 are substantially parallel to the longitudinal axes of the corresponding screws 80. Furthermore, the longitudinal axes of the screws 36 and 80 are in a plane that is parallel with the path of movement of the corresponding shaft 26 within the walls 12 and 14.

Each of the shafts 26 carries as a unit for movement therewith separate structure to impart rotative movement thereto. Such structureincludes a bracket 96 secured directly to a sleeve 56, said bracket 96, in turn, mounting an electric motor 98 and a driven sheave 100. Sheave 100 and drive pulley 102 of motor 98 are interconnected by a belt 104 trained thereabout.

A collar 106 on the shaft 26 at the end thereof adjacent bushing 60 supports a pair of spaced bearings 108 and 110 that, in turn, rotatably mount a shaft 112 having its axis of rotation substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of shaft 26. A gear 114 secured to the shaft 112 between bearings 108 and 118 is in mesh with a worm 116 that is, in turn, secured for rotative movement on the sheave 100. A pinion 118 on shaft 112 meshes with a gear 120 that is mounted on shaft 26 and held in place by a lock nut 122.

The conical members 20, 22 and 24 each constitute a pair of sections 124 and 126. The section 124 is a frustoconical, tubular member having the innermost face of its base end angled as at 128 to present a wedge fit with a bevelled, external flange 130 on the shaft 26. Section 124 is held in wedged relationship on the shaft 26 by means of a bolt 132 threaded into the outermost end of shaft 26, there being a washer 134 provided on bolt 132 for holding section 124 in place when the section 126 is not used, as illustrated in Fig. 5.

The section 126 is truly conical and has a bolt 136 extending outwardly from its base and for mounting within the shaft 26 when both sections 124 and 126 are used in the manner illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. It is, also, apparent that, through such construction and mounting of the sections 124 and 126, working members 20, 22 and 24 of differing sizes may be used, if so desired.

It is now apparent that each of the working members 20, 22 and 24 is not only separably adjustable with respect to the remaining of these members but are, also, separably rotated by structure forming a unitary part thereof that is carried by the shafts 26 and shiftable therewith when adjustments are to be made as to the relative dispositions of the members 20, 22 and 24. If it is desired that the speeds of rotation of shaft 26 be substantially the same, appropriate electrical hookups can be provided in the usual manner for synchronizing such speeds of rotation of the motors 98.

It is seen that upon insertion of an initially flat sheet of metal between a pair of the members 20, 22 or 24, such sheet will follow the contour of one of the members as they rotate together. The particular size and shape of the rolled tube will depend upon adjustments above described and upon the shape and size of the members 20, 22 and 24 used. Uses for the finished articles vary widely from housings for jet propulsion engines for aircraft to pouring spouts for containers and air pipes for furnaces, and the equipment is therefore, adapted for universal use by sheet metal workers.

The advantages emanating from the use of the metal working device above described, will become apparent to those skilled in the art, particularly from the standpoint of minute adjustments that are possible and the way in which the angularities of the working members 20, 22 and 24 can be separately changed to suit the desires of the operator. Such modifications of the present invention not herein shown as fairly come within the scope of the appended claims are contemplated hereby.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A metal bending machine of the character described comprising a plurality of rotatable shafts each having a pair of bearings supporting the same and a working face on one end thereof, at least one bearing of each shaft respectively being shiftably mounted for moving said work ing faces toward and away from each other, the other bearing of each shaft respectively being formed to pivot as the working faces are moved, and separate unitary power driving mechanism for each shaft respectively, each of said mechanisms being bodily connected with the associated shaft to drive the same and constructed and arranged to bodily move with said shaft during the shiftable movements of the shaft as occasioned through the instrumentality of the bearings.

2. A metal bending machine of the character described comprising a plurality of rotatable shafts normally dis posed with their longitudinal axes converging as one end of the shafts is approached; a substantially conical member on said one end of each shaft respectively for direct cooperative engagement with the other of said conical members; means for varying the relatively angularity between the surface of each conical member and all of the remaining members including a pair of shiftable bearings for each shaft carrying one of said conical members respectively, each bearing being mounted for free pivotal movement relative to the axis of its shaft, and independent means for each bearing respectively for shifting the same and the associated one shaft carried by both of said bearings toward and away from the remaining shafts; and a power unit supported on each shaft respectively and bodily shiftable directly with said shaft and connected for driving the shaft.

3. A machine for forming sheet metal into hollow structures of predetermined shape comprising a housing, forming rolls positioned outside said housing, shafts mounted in said housing and supporting said rolls, said shafts being arranged for bodily shifting in radially disposed planes, and operative mechanisms carried upon spaced walls of said housing for each shaft to bodily shift the shaft in its respective plane of operation, said operative mechanisms of each shaft respectively comprising a swivel bearing means supporting one end of said shaft, adjustable means carried by said housing and connected with said swivel bearing means to bodily shift said one end of said shaft, and a second rockable bearing means for the other end of said shaft having coactive means to allow the associated portion of said shaft to move in a given plane of operation, and bodily shiftable means carried by said housing to adjust the associated end of said shaft in said plane of operation and relatively to said housing through bodily actuation of the second rockable bearing means, and individual power drive means connected with each shaft comprising a self-contained operable unit supported from said second bearing means for bodily movement directly therewith and having driving connection with said shaft.

4. A machine for forming flat metal stock into hollow shapes comprising a support, and a plurality of metal forming roll structures carried by said support, each structure comprising a shaft, a forming roll on one end of said shaft, and bearing means carried by said support, said bearing means comprising mountings adjustably carried for movement relatively to said support and located in positions adjacent the roll end of said shaft and at the other end of said shaft, actuating means to move each mounting relative to said support, and rock-able bearing means connected with said shaft and carried in said mountings respectively, one of said bearing means having a sleeve extension encircling said shaft between both mountings, and a power operated mechanism supported from said sleeve extension and connected to drive said sha t.

5. A machine for forming flat metal stock into hollow shapes comprising a support, and a plurality of metal forming roll structures carried by said support, each structure comprising a shaft, a forming roll on one end of said shaft, and bearing means carried by said support, said bearing means comprising mountings adjustably carried for movement relatively to said support and located in positions adjacent the roll end of said shaft and at the other end of said shaft, actuating means to move each mounting relative to said support, and rockable bearing means connected with said shaft and carried in said mountings respectively, one of said bearing means having a sleeve extension encircling said shaft between both mountings, and a self-contained power transmission means carried by said sleeve and solely supported thereby comprising a prime mover, and a power transmitting mechanism connected with said prime mover and said shaft to drive the latter, and cooperative means associated with said one bearing to orient said sleeve in a given relation with respect to said shaft to maintain said power transmission means in a given relation with respect to said shaft for all adjustments of said shaft relatively to said support.

6. A metal bending machine of the character described comprising :a plurality of rotatable shafts, each having a metal working element freely suspended from one end thereof, operative means for each shaft respectively for moving the shafts toward and away from each other comv prising independent movably mounted bearings supporting said shaft at spaced points, swivel means interposed between each bearing and said shaft, .and actuating means to move said bearings, and shaft driving mechanism associated with each shaft respectively and to rotate each shaft independently of the other of the shafts, said drivmg mechanism including means to bodily support said mechanism in operative relation to said shaft and to follow the adjustable movements of that shaft.

7. A metal bending machine of the character described comprising a plurality of rotatable shafts, each having a metal working element freely suspended from one end thereof, operative means for each shaft respectively for selectively moving either or both ends of each shaft toward and away from the remaining shafts, and shaft driving mechanism for each shaft respectively and independently operable with respect to each other, said mechanism including suspension means carried by the associated shaft and by at least one of said shaft bearings and being constructed and arranged to follow the bodily adjustable movements of the associated shaft.

8. A metal bending machine of the character described comprising conical forming rolls, a plurality of rotatable shafts each supporting one of said conical rolls at one end thereof and in suspended coactive relation with respect to the other of said conical rolls, and structure for each shaft respectively for varying the relative angularity between said conical forming rolls and the distances therebetween, said structures each including a pair of mounting bearings, each bearing being swingable relatively to the longitudinal axis of its shaft, means for each bearing respectively for moving the same and the shaft carried thereby toward and away from the remaining shafts, and power mechanisms each individually suspended from one of said shafts to directly drive the latter, each mechanism including a sleeve carried by the shaft, a motor on said sleeve, and connected power drive means on said motor and shaft respectively.

9. A machine for forming sheet metal into hollow structures of predetermined shape comprising a housing, a triplicate combination of coacting forming rolls positioned outside said housing, three shafts mounted in said housing and supporting each of said rolls respectively, said shafts being arranged for independent bodily shifting in radially disposed planes, operative mechanisms carried upon spaced walls of said housing for each shaft to bodily shift the shaft through a wide range of angular adjustments in its respective plane of operation, said operative mechanisms of each shaft respectively comprising a swivel bearing means supporting one end of said shaft, adjustable means carried by said housing and connected with said swivel bearing means to bodily shift said one end of said shaft, and a second rockable bearing means for the other end of said shaft having coactive means to allow the associated portion of said shaft to move in a given plane of operation, and bodily shiftable means carried by said housing to adjust the associated end of said shaft in said plane of operation and relatively to said housing through bodily actuation of the second rockable bearing means, and power driven mechanism associated with said shaft and adapted to drive the shaft independently of said other shafts and to follow said shafts during the adjusted movements thereof.

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